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<p align="center"></p>Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 08:45CatesbyTrend Watch: Mobile Stores Hit U.S. StreetsFerran Adria: Cuisine Can’t Travel, So People Musthttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/ferran-adria-cuisine-cant-travel-so-people-must
<p>Yesterday morning, at I had the pleasure of meeting Spain’s most celebrated chef, <a title="Ferran Adria" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferran_Adri%C3%A0" target="_blank">Ferran Adrià</a>. Since I’ll probably never get the chance to eat at <a title="El Bulli" href="http://www.elbulli.com/" target="_blank">El Bulli</a>—his widely adored Catalunya restaurant-turned-culinary-institute, (which now no longer accepts reservations, though they were near impossible to get even when it did)—I consider it an accomplishment just to shake the man’s hand. Though, alas, I suspect that his was not the hand that prepared the cookies and Starbuck’s coffee on offer during the break...</p>
Thursday, September 9, 2010 - 09:50CatesbyFerran Adria: Cuisine Can’t Travel, So People MustGet Amped for the World Cup With Local Musichttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/get-amped-for-the-world-cup-with-local-music
<p><a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/south-africa/hotels" target="_blank">South Africa</a> is on the radar these days as the countdown to the <a href="http://www.fifa.com/worldcup" target="_blank">World Cup</a> begins. Curious about the country but don't have the time or money to fly half way around the world? Try traveling through music.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.putumayo.com" target="_blank">Putumayo</a>'s latest country-themed release, "<a href="http://www.putumayo.com/en/catalog_item.php?album_id=1006" target="_blank">South Africa</a>" is—in the classic fuzzy-wuzzy style of America's most ubiquitous world-music label—a "celebration of the diversity" of the destination. Admittedly, I have mixed feelings about Putumayo. While I enjoy the company's intentions (introducing people to music they might otherwise never know, giving charitably to the countries whose music it publishes, etc.), I'm not always the biggest fan of its sampler-style take on breaking international acts, or on the insistently feel-good focus, or on, well, of the commoditization of countries-as-musical-products.</p>
Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 09:00CatesbyGet Amped for the World Cup With Local MusicSpirit Air Announces &quot;No Recline&quot; Seatshttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/spirit-air-announces-no-recline-seats
<p>I just flew in from <a title="Ft. Lauderdale" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/fort-lauderdale" target="_blank">Ft. Lauderdale</a> to <a title="New York" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/new-york" target="_blank">New York</a>, and, boy, am I tired! No, seriously though, I am. Because <a title="Spirit Air" href="http://www.spiritair.com/" target="_blank">Spirit Airways</a> has decided to change out their old seats for a new “lightweight, leather” model that doesn’t recline at all, I didn’t doze one bit on my 7 a.m. jaunt up the coast.</p>
<p>Just last week, Spirit released an absurd statement (one rivaled in ridiculous spin only by the airline’s own <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/carry-on/2010/4/6/spirit-airlines-to-charge-for-carry-ons" target="_blank">proud announcement in March that it would begin charging for carry-ons</a>) that touted its new paralyzed seatbacks as a positive development for passengers. The claim:</p>
<p>1. The seats offer comfort throughout the entire flight, since you don’t need to put them in their full upright position during take-off and landing (right, because the lean-forward, lean-back thing is such an exhausting part of travel).</p>
<p>2. Customers appreciate that “there is no longer interference from the seat in front of you moving up and down throughout the flight.”</p>
<p>Yes, the inconsiderate gent in 14B sprawling back just as you dig into your chicken-flavored Cup-O’-Noodles is annoying. But not being able to recline at all? That’s plain infuriating. And, on any flight over two hours, as I can attest, terribly uncomfortable.</p>
Thursday, April 29, 2010 - 12:45CatesbySpirit Air Announces &quot;No Recline&quot; SeatsIs the Best Restaurant in the World Closing? http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/is-the-best-restaurant-in-the-world-closing
<p>Yes, it’s true. For those of you who haven’t heard, <a title="El Bulli" href="http://www.elbulli.com/" target="_blank">El Bulli</a>—chef and molecular gastronomist Ferran Adria’s inimitable restaurant on Spain’s Costa Brava, considered by many to be the finest in the world—is closing. This summer season, which begins on June 15th, will be its second-to-last.</p>
<p>As a restaurante, that is. Despite rumors that the place was gone for good, a press release has confirmed that El Bulli will indeed close in 2012—but reopen in 2014 as a culinary foundation. The not-for-profit institute will serve as a “think tank for creativity in gastronomy,” offering 20 to 25 yearlong fellowships for chefs to experiment in Adria’s famous <em>taller</em>, and compiling an exhaustive <a href="http://elbulli.com/menu.php?lang=en" target="_blank">encyclopedia on contemporary cooking</a>.</p>
<p>Adria, meanwhile, will try out his talents on a different dining public: the students Harvard University. He has <a href="http://www.boston.com/ae/specials/culturedesk/2010/03/ferran_adria_to_teach_at_harva.html" target="_blank">signed on to teach a fall 2010 undergraduate course in culinary physics</a>.</p>
Friday, April 23, 2010 - 11:15CatesbyIs the Best Restaurant in the World Closing? Argentina&#039;s &quot;Abuelas&quot; Nominated for Nobel Peace Prizehttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/argentinas-abuelas-nominated-for-nobel-peace-prize
<p>Argentina’s <a title="Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo" href="http://www.abuelas.org.ar/" target="_blank">Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo</a>, the civil rights group that fights to track down and identify children who were “disappeared” during the country’s military dictatorships, have been nominated for a <a title="2010 Nobel Peace Prize" href="http://nobelprize.org/" target="_blank">2010 Nobel Peace Prize</a>.</p>
<p>The Abuelas (Grandmothers) originally formed as an offshoot of the <a title="Madres de La Plaza de Mayo" href="http://www.madres.org/" target="_blank">Madres de La Plaza de Mayo</a>—mothers who, dressed in matching white kerchiefs and toting posters of missing people, staged sobering daily protest marches in <a title="Buenos Aires" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/buenos-aires" target="_blank">Buenos Aires</a>’ main square for over three decades. But whereas the latter group seeks justice for the sons and daughters kidnapped during the military dictatorships, the Abuelas focus on what happened to the offspring—born and unborn—of those <em>desaparecidos</em>. From the mid-1970s and through the early ‘80s, approximately 500 Argentine children were abducted (along with their parents) and raised by military families or by other government sympathizers. In their 30-year history, the Abuelas have managed to recover 47 of these <em>niños robados</em>.</p>
Thursday, April 22, 2010 - 09:25CatesbyArgentina&#039;s &quot;Abuelas&quot; Nominated for Nobel Peace PrizeViva Cartagena! Openings Bring New Life to the Old Cityhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/viva-cartagena-new-openings-bring-new-life-to-the-colombia-city
<p>Tough times for tourism? Not in Cartagena de Indias. I recently returned from a long weekend in <a title="Colombia" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/colombia/hotels" target="_blank">Colombia</a> (currently a "recession-proof country," according to several economic analysts), and while global markets may be floundering and travel numbers down, this sultry Caribbean city is booming with a wave of new boutique hotels, innovative eateries, and ample old-school watering holes. Here's the scoop:</p>
<p>At least a half a dozen gorgeous properties have recently opened downtown (plug: don’t miss T+L’s <em>It List </em>of Best New Hotels in June!). I settled into the 24-suite <a title="Ananda Hotel Boutique" href="http://www.anandacartagena.com" target="_blank">Anandá Hotel Boutique</a> (pictured below), a quiet retreat in a restored Spanish-colonial building with carved-wood balconies and three breezy roof terraces. The cool, Zen-like calm is a world apart from the bustling street scene just outside its massive wooden doors.</p>
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - 08:10CatesbyViva Cartagena! Openings Bring New Life to the Old CityReport Indicates Less Lost Luggagehttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/report-indicates-less-lost-luggage
<p>Here’s some good news about airlines (after my colleague Mark Orwoll’s posts on <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/carry-on/2010/4/7/ryanair-confirms-we-are-serious-about-charging-a-toilet-fee" target="_blank">charging for bathroom access</a> and <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/carry-on/2010/4/6/spirit-airlines-to-charge-for-carry-ons" target="_blank">for carry-ons</a>, we could really use it): according to a <a href="http://www.sita.aero/content/baggage-report-2010" target="_blank">March report by SITA</a>, a company that specializes in aviation IT, only 25 million bags were lost in airports around the world in 2009—that’s a 23.8 percent drop from 2008, and over 40 percent less “mishandled” (a.k.a. lost) luggage than in the year before.</p>
Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - 12:25CatesbyReport Indicates Less Lost LuggageDavid Copperfield’s Penthouse of Wondershttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/david-copperfields-penthouse-of-wonders
<p>There are countless things I never thought I’d do: solve a thorny calculus equation; pacify an enraged mama polar bear with my calming gaze; stroll the 57th-floor roof deck of <a title="David Copperfield" href="http://www.davidcopperfield.com/" target="_blank">David Copperfield</a>’s penthouse with a blood-orange harvest moon rising behind me, a jazz-swing cover of “Black Hole Sun” sounding around me, and the flat immensity of <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/new-york-city" target="_blank">Manhattan</a> unfolding before me.</p>
<p>And yet, thanks to <em>Travel + Leisure</em>, one breezy evening last September I found myself doing just that. Not the math and bear part, of course—but attending a party chez Copperfield. To publicize his private-island resort on <a title="Musha Cay" href="http://www.mushacay.com/" target="_blank">Musha Cay</a> in the <a title="Bahamas" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/bahamas" target="_blank">Bahamas</a> (more on the news there in a minute), the magician gave us a sneak peek of his New York City home.</p>
Monday, February 22, 2010 - 11:25CatesbyDavid Copperfield’s Penthouse of WondersIn South Beach, Burger King Goes Glamhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/in-south-beach-burger-king-goes-glam
<p>Well, maybe not glam, but Burger King’s <a title="Whopper Bar" href="http://www.bkwhopperbar.com/" target="_blank">new "Whopper Bar"</a> in <a title="Miami" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/miami" target="_blank">South Beach, Miami</a>—an industrial-chic, “boutique” rendition of the distinctly unglamorous orange-themed fast-food chain—will grill you up something called a “Black &amp; Bleu Steakhouse XT” (oh la la, beyond-fries French).</p>
<p>Care to wash down that seven-ounce, flame-broiled beef patty with a nice cold beer? The Whopper Bar offers a selection of artisanal American brews, serving everything from, uh, super-hip Budweiser to luxe Miller Light.</p>
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Monday, February 1, 2010 - 07:25CatesbyIn South Beach, Burger King Goes GlamItaly Lovers Say &#039;Ciao&#039; to the Bronxhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/italy-lovers-say-ciao-to-the-bronx
<p><a href="http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p>After much prodding by a Bronx-born friend, this past weekend I finally checked out the borough’s Belmont section—a.k.a. <strong>Arthur Avenue</strong>, named for its main drag—and finally understood the hype. Teeming with pizzerias, pastry shops, and seafood merchants, this former immigrant neighborhood is a slice of old Italy. Whether you’re a New Yorker or a tourist, Arthur Ave. an authentic, distinctive, and tasty <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/new-york-city" target="_blank">NYC</a> outing. Plus, I’d wager a few thousand lire that it’s one heck of a Valentine’s Day destination (hint, hint).</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/randylevine/" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p>As we grazed on fresh olives and cheese at the charmingly old-school <strong>Arthur Avenue Retail Market</strong>, my friend and I stocked up on imported Italian ingredients, everything from dried bresaola to hand-rolled fettuccini. I dream nightly about the creamy, caramel-y fromaggio Prima Donna that the affable <a title="Mike's Deli" href="http://www.arthuravenue.com" target="_blank">Mike’s Deli</a> guys urged me to sample.</p>
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 12:20CatesbyItaly Lovers Say &#039;Ciao&#039; to the BronxWith a Flashy New Airport and Hot Hotels, Uruguay’s Star is Risinghttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/with-a-flashy-new-airport-and-hot-hotels-uruguays-star-is-rising
<p>Most people probably couldn’t locate it on a map, but the tiny, verdant, indomitably friendly Oriental Republic of Uruguay is one of the world’s underrated places. I like to consider its long virgin shorelines, burgeoning wine industry, and charming European coffeshops my little secret.</p>
<p>But that may soon change.</p>
<p>In early December a beautiful, dome-like new terminal designed by Uruguay-born, New York-based architect Rafael Viñoly opened, replaced the aging <a title="Carrasco International Airport" href="http://www.aic.com.uy/" target="_blank">Carrasco International Airport </a>and vastly increasing flight capacity. Here’s to hoping some U.S. airlines will finally begin to offer direct routes to Montevideo (currently passengers must first stop in <a title="Buenos Aires" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/buenos-aires" target="_blank">Buenos Aires</a>). Yes, I’m talking to you, <a href="http://www.delta.com" target="_blank">Delta</a>.</p>
Friday, December 18, 2009 - 06:08CatesbyWith a Flashy New Airport and Hot Hotels, Uruguay’s Star is RisingWhy Go Now: Buenos Aires Celebrates 200 Yearshttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/why-go-now-buenos-aires-celebrates-200-years
<p>2010 is shaping up to be a great year for Americans to travel to the <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/buenos-aires" target="_blank">Argentine capital</a>, which celebrates its bicentennial next year with a wave of new hotels, a grand theater reopening, and one of the best exchange rates of the decade.</p>
<p><strong>HOTELS</strong></p>
<p>Spain-based NH Hoteles is celebrating its 10th anniversary in the country by inaugurating not one but two new Buenos Aires properties: the nominally green, 116-room <a title="NH Tango" href="http://www.nh-hotels.com/nh/en/hotels/argentina/buenos-aires/nh-9-de-julio.html" target="_blank">NH Tango</a> (whose décor, appropriately enough, is themed after that quintessentially Argentine dance); and the sleek, 176-suite <a title="NH 9 de Julio" href="http://www.nh-hotels.com/nh/en/hotels/argentina/buenos-aires/nh-9-de-julio.html" target="_blank">NH 9 de Julio</a>, so named for its position on the mammoth 10-lane boulevard traversing the city. Both hotels are located downtown, near such tourist attractions as the Obelisque and the Teatro Colon. Another addition to the city: the luxury 91-room <a title="Blue Tree Buenos Aires Ker" href="http://www.bluetree.com.ar/" target="_blank">Blue Tree Buenos Aires Ker</a>, in tony Recoleta.</p>
Monday, December 7, 2009 - 11:35CatesbyWhy Go Now: Buenos Aires Celebrates 200 YearsHigh-Speed Rail To Connect Europe and Russia? Could America Be Next?http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/high-speed-rail-to-connect-europe-and-russia-could-america-be-next
<p>In the past decade, ambitious high-speed rail projects have condensed <a title="Europe" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/europe/" target="_blank">Europe</a>, reducing travel times–often by more than half–on principal routes like Madrid-Barcelona (was: 9 hours; now: 3) and <a title="London" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/london/" target="_blank">London</a>-<a title="Brussels" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/brussels/hotels/" target="_blank">Brussels</a> (travel speed: 208 mph). </p>
<p>This December, a shiny new bullet train will begin plying the tracks between <a title="Moscow" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/moscow/hotels/" target="_blank">Moscow</a> and St. Petersburg. The red-and-silver <a title="Sapsan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapsan" target="_blank">Sapsan</a>–which emerged from years of halting talks between the Russian government and Germany-based Siemens company–will traverse the 400 miles between the cities in just three hours and 45 minutes, beating airline timetables by more than an hour. The name means "peregrine falcon."</p>
Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 05:45CatesbyHigh-Speed Rail To Connect Europe and Russia? Could America Be Next?NEWS: T+L Store Opens at JFK Airporthttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/news-tl-store-opens-at-jfk-airport
<p> Eager fliers got their first glimpse of the new Travel + Leisure retail store in New York’s <a title="JFK" href="http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk.html" target="_blank">John F. Kennedy International Airport</a>'s Terminal 2 today, snatching up <a title="Tumi" href="http://www.tumi.com/" target="_blank">Tumi</a> suitcases and <a title="T+L Greatest Trips 2009" href="http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Leisures-Greatest-Trips-Leisure/dp/0756641039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1255620903&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank"><em>T+L Greatest Trips of 2009</em></a> books, perusing city maps, and grabbing <a title="North Face" href="http://www.thenorthface.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TNFLocaleSelectionForm?storeId=10003" target="_blank">North Face</a> jackets to fight off the wet East Coast chill.</p>
<p>Travel + Leisure's first U.S. retail store—and only the third in the world—opened this week in JFK, in partnership with airport retail giant Hudson News.</p>
Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 08:40CatesbyNEWS: T+L Store Opens at JFK AirportChocolate Here, Chocolate There, Chocolate Chocolate Everywhere!http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/chocolate-here-chocoalte-there-chocolate-chocolate-everywhere
<p>I received an email invitation to this event a few days ago, got exceedingly excited, and will literally remain excited until the big day: the <a title="Chocolate Show" href="http://www.chocolateshow.com" target="_blank">Chocolate Show</a>, a worldwide celebration of All Things Cacao, is starting its world tour.</p>
<p>Over 65 exhibits include chefs using the miracle ingredient in unusual culinary creations, a Chocolate Beauty Pavilion (with mini-massages!), and—obviously—copious opportunities to taste. <a title="$28" href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?q=chocolate+show" target="_blank">$28 to feel like a kid in a candy store again</a>? Count me in.</p>
Friday, October 2, 2009 - 11:15CatesbyChocolate Here, Chocolate There, Chocolate Chocolate Everywhere!Mexico’s Best Beer Crosses the Border For Realhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/mexicos-best-beer-crosses-the-border
<p>If you’ve ever traveled to <a title="Mexico" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/mexico" target="_blank">Mexico</a>, you know that—contrary to popular belief—the <em>cerveza</em> <em>más fina</em> south of the border is not Corona, that ubiquitous and admittedly tasty siren of beer. Nor is it Dos Equis (meh), or Tecate (God forbid). No, the country’s best beer is Negra Modelo—a German-style, exceedingly palatable, complex amber lager.</p>
<p>Now you don’t have to go to Acapulco—or even to your best-stocked corner store—to find your favorite Mexican beer. Just grab a pint at your local bar.</p>
Thursday, September 24, 2009 - 10:15CatesbyMexico’s Best Beer Crosses the Border For RealNew Google App Tackles Travel…Sort-Ofhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/new-google-app-tackles-travelsort-of
<p>It only launched in testing stages on June 25th, but Google’s new “<a title="City Tours" href="http://citytours.googlelabs.com/" target="_blank">City Tours</a>” application—in which your Google Map offers multi-day itineraries in destinations around the globe—has the potential to become something great. But right now it’s mostly useless.</p>
Monday, August 17, 2009 - 11:00CatesbyNew Google App Tackles Travel…Sort-OfEclectic Shopping and Urban Renewal in Budapest http://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/aclectic-shopping-and-urban-renewal-in-budapest
<p>When I went to Budapest last week—that unduly beautiful capital on the Danube—I spent an afternoon checking-out some boutiques recommended in a <a title="June 7 New York Times article" href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/travel/07journeys.html?fta=y" target="_blank">June 7 New York Times article</a> about the city’s budding design scene (just yesterday it also ran <a title="this piece" href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/travel/02save.html?scp=1&amp;sq=Budapest&amp;st=cse" target="_blank">this piece</a>). All the shops are located in Pest—the newer, commercial side of the river—in a triangle near the <a title="Hungarian National Museum" href="http://www.hnm.hu/en/fooldal/mainPage.php" target="_blank">Hungarian National Museum</a> (14-16 Múzeum korut, District IX); and the bar and restaurant strip of Raday utca. Let’s call the area, which is really just a small piece of District IX, <strong>Karolyi Kert</strong>, after the leafy park in the heart of the ‘hood.</p>
Friday, August 7, 2009 - 09:00CatesbyEclectic Shopping and Urban Renewal in Budapest You’ve done the Wine Route, Now Try the Brew Ridge Trailhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/youve-done-the-wine-route-now-try-the-brew-ridge-trail
<p>Charlottesville, Virginia is known for Jeffersonian architecture, an eclectic dining scene, and—especially in recent years—the burgeoning wineries in it lush countryside. Now the city is promoting another local industry: its breweries.</p>
<p>The "Brew Ridge Trail"--a collection of six local micro-breweries with tasting rooms open to the public, all located in the Charlottesville area--will officially kick-off its first season with a concert on August 22nd.</p>
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 09:22CatesbyYou’ve done the Wine Route, Now Try the Brew Ridge TrailUnited Eats of Americahttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/united-eats-of-america
<p>I’ve been traveling a lot, both for T+L and to visit some far-flug friends--which means that I’ve been eating a lot, too. Here are some of my favorite recent restaurant discoveries in cities around the country: </p>
<p><strong>NEW ORLEANS</strong> The Big Easy may be a foodie’s paradise, but as a<br />
vegetarian I had to look beyond the sausage-heavy jambalaya joints to<br />
find my dinners. Two eateries that offer both NoLa flavor and expanded<br />
menus are <a title="Café Atchafalaya" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/restaurants/cafe-atchafalaya" target="_blank">Café Atchafalaya</a> and <a title="Bennachin" href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/restaurants/bennachin" target="_blank">Bennachin</a>,<br />
an East African spot with a Creole kick in the French Quarter, where<br />
all the regional dishes (spicy jambalaya, gumbo, etc.–all of which<br />
derived from Africa originally) can be made vegetarian.</p>
Friday, June 12, 2009 - 13:00CatesbyUnited Eats of AmericaNYC Ritual: First Saturdays in Brooklynhttp://www.travelandleisure.com/blogs/nyc-ritual-first-saturdays-in-brooklyn
<p>It’s difficult to conjure up a dull weekend in New York, but that task is downright impossible on the first weekend of every month, when the city’s mu</p>Friday, March 27, 2009 - 06:55CatesbyNYC Ritual: First Saturdays in Brooklyn